


Mastermind

by vinegardog



Category: Farscape
Genre: Fanfic, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-08
Updated: 2012-06-08
Packaged: 2017-11-07 07:10:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/428316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vinegardog/pseuds/vinegardog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A rebellion is brewing on Moya</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mastermind

Characters are not mine (darn!) but belong to the Jim Henson Company.

Setting and Spoilers and Warnings: This is set sometime in the middle of Season 1, after Thank God It’s Friday, Again and before Durka Returns. There are really no spoilers that I can see. Please bear in mind that I am the least anarchic person in the galaxy, so writing about anarchy is quite difficult…I find it anarchic to cross the road against the lights! 

This is absolutely SILLY, so silly it is almost embarrassing but in the spirit of the Beach Bash I am willing to look silly just to say I participated and had a good time!!!

Thanks to mamageek for being my beta on this and thanks to Jacquelee and GinAA for reading it – any and all errors are mine!

Word count: 2395

Mastermind (PG)

A sharp stabbing pain in his shoulder followed by an even sharper pinch, woke John up in the middle of a beautiful dream of his father and himself fishing on a sunny spring day by a cool mountain lake…what the heck was that? Semi-awake he swatted at his shoulder but the pain returned even sharper.

John turned around to see the source of the painful pocking and prodding and found himself face to face with a DRD hanging on the wall by his bed – little bright eyes on stalks blinding him, squeaks and hisses coming from it clearly showing him that something was seriously wrong. 

His first thought was of course that Moya had been tracked by the Peacekeepers and that somehow he had managed to sleep through Pilot’s warnings…in a state of semi-panic, he got up and reached for his clothes but the DRD – one he did not remember having seen around before, definitely not One Eye or one of the DRDs assigned to cleaning his quarters – slid down the wall and stung him again this time in his naked calf and then bumped hard into his leg…a clear sign that it was not prepared to wait for him to dress or do anything else… the summons was as clear as daylight..MOVE NOW!

Worried and not a little puzzled John called for Pilot on his comms, which he had managed to snatch from his T-shirt by the bed before the DRD could actually push him out the door…no answer from Pilot to his repeated appeals…he tried to call for Aeryn, then D’Argo and finally Zhaan but again no answer of any kind. A bad feeling settled in his gut while literally being pushed along Moya’ corridos by the drone - images of his first day on Moya playing over and over again in his mind. 

The feeling only got worse when on approaching Command, he realised that more than fifty other DRD’s were standing guard, weapons and tools extended and ready for use, deafeningly chirping and bleeping at each other.

The army of DRDs made just about enough room for him to pass through before closing ranks again.

To his surprise and to a certain degree, relief, John saw Aeryn, D’Argo and Rygel – all in various states of undress related to their sleeping habits – huddled on the floor in the middle of the room by the control consoles.

 

“Hey, am I glad to see you all! What’s going on? I was fast asleep when one of these little fellas…”

“Shut up Crichton, we know what happened, are you too stupid or too blind to see that the same happened to us?” Rygel snapped.

John ignored the snarky Hinerian and turned instead towards D’Argo and Aeryn (despite the state of confusion and apprehension, his brain registering in a split second how beautiful Aeryn looked with her dishevelled hair and bare legs) 

“Have the Peacekeepers found us? Did Pilot detect a Command Carrier or other battle unit? Why is Pilot not answering my comms? Why are you on the floor on Command and why are the DRDs…”

“Shut up, Crichton!” The Luxan and Sebacean exclaimed in unison.

A thousand questions still swirling in his brain, John stood looking down at the others, a hangdog look on his face mixed with a little pique and annoyance. 

After a couple of microts, Aeryn looked up and feeling ever so slightly sorry for snapping at him, sighed and said:

“Sit down, Crichton or the DRDs will make you and it will not be pleasant. D’Argo and I tried to resist them but they forcefully ‘insisted’ ..we have the bruises to prove it. “ She subconsciously rubbed her leg where she had been just recently stung.

Looking back at the menacing drones, John followed Aeryn’s advise and sat down beside her.

“We don’t have any answers to your questions…we were also awakened and forced here. Pilot is not responding our hails, however the consoles do not show any Peacekeeper presence in the immediate area, so I don’t think this has to do with any external threat.”

“I am willing to bet this is all your fault, Crichton, you probably did something completely moronic and fahrbot and now we are paying the price for it!” Rygel superciliously stated

“Hey, Sluggo, I was fast asleep when all this happened, so don’t go blaming me for whatever the frell is going on here!”

At this, Rygel bared is teeth and on short unsteady legs charged John with the clear intention of biting a good chunk of his arm off.

D’Argo grabbed him just in time and holding him firmly and decidedly quite painfully by one of his ears barked “Enough! Rygel ! John! this is NOT helping ! We don’t know what the hezmana is going on and by the looks of things we may be here for a while, so do NOT make me tongue you!”

At that moment, the clamshell on their right flickered to life and Pilot’s face appeared – image a little distorted and grainy.

“Yo, Pilot, we were getting worried! What is going on with the DRDs? Please ask them to stand down, we want to go back to…”

“Commander” Pilot interrupted “ unfortunately, Moya and I…I don’t know quite how to explain this….but we have lost control of the Diagnostic Repair Drones..”

“Lost control, Pilot? I don’t understand, they only obey yours and Moya’s orders – how is that possible?” Aeryn pushed for an explanation.

“I am afraid this is highly unusual, Officer Sun. I have never been in this situation before and Moya informs me that she also has never seen such an occurrence. She is quite agitated and more than a little upset! The DRDs have never ignored her wishes before and moreover they seem to be somewhat…organised” 

“Organised? What, you mean they are consciously plotting this?” John asked in amazement.

“Crichton, your stupidity astounds me! The DRDs are machines, they are our slaves, how can they possibly be behind this…this absurd kidnapping?!” Rygel snarled viciously.

“Actually,” Pilot interjected “ I believe Commander Crichton’s assessment is quite…correct. And Dominar, DRDs are NOT your slaves, so please do not refer to them in those terms. They are absolutely vital elements to the survival of Moya and of yours I might add.”

Rygel dropped his ears a fraction at the rebuke and had the decency to look at little sheepish.

D’Argo cut straight to the chase :“Pilot, we want to resolve this situation, please tell us what we can do.” 

“Ka D’Argo, I thank you for your offer but I am at a loss as to what you can possibly….wait, I am receiving a communication from DRD Unit 57….Moya has finally managed to get through to the drones… I need to go but I will return to keep you informed of the developments”

The image flickered again and disappeared.

Other than for the buzzing coming from the doorway, silence descended on Command while the four members of the crew sat uncomfortably waiting, each one wondering to themselves what this all meant and how the frell it was that these unheard of situations always seemed to happen on Moya ...John glanced sideways at Aeryn, then at D’Argo and Rygel and then suddenly it hit him!

“Where the hell is Bluey? Is she alright? Has any of you seen her?”

The others shook their heads and D’Argo growled “She’d better be okay…if these little frellniks hurt her I will blast them away one by one!”

Pilot’s voice reached them before the image of his face actually made a reappearance on the clamshell…

“Pa’u Zotoh Zhaan is perfectly safe, she is in her quarters…I believe she may be asleep. We are finally making some progress. The drones have elected Unit 57 as their…spoke person and they have let Moya know what it is they wish to accomplish. They have demands and they will not lift this siege until these are heard and met.”

“Demands!” Snorted Rygel “ I am Dominar of six billion people and I have never and will never bend to the demands of anyone let alone a bunch of yellow yotzes!”

“Well, Dominar, unless you want to be blown away by the bunch of yellow yotzes, I suggest you shut your trap and listen to what they have to say!” John said sarcastically. Then turning to Pilot “Please Pilot, go ahead and tell us what it is they want…I am sure we can solve the situation without any further escalation of violence.”

The DRD, which they all assumed must be Unit 57, slid forward and emitted a clear loud chirp, the other DRDs quietened and let their leader proceed with what was very clearly a list of requests expressed in whistles, chirrups and blips.

When it finally quietened , the crew as one turned to the clamshell.

“Well, I will be happy to interpret what has just been said but I would please ask you not to interrupt until I have finished. The demands are clear and Unit 57 will not accept any compromises or protests from any of you.”

Nods from the crew, some more enthusiastic than others, met this announcement.

“Ka D’Argo, the DRDs are extremely upset at the way you so often kick them when you lose your temper. They will no longer accept this and will release you only if you promise not to take your rage out on them any longer.”

“Well, Pilot, you should tell them to stay out of my way then!” D’Argo barked.

A chorus of protesting noises came flooding in from the doorway and a stream of whistles erupted from Unit 57. 

“Fine, fine! I promise I will try my very best not to kick them again…” D’Argo finally relented.

“The second demand” Pilot continued “is for you, Dominar”. Rygel humphed but wisely refrained from protest. “The units assigned to clean and maintain your sleeping quarters request that from now on you no longer hide food and insignificant trinkets in every nook and cranny of it and of the rest of the sleeping tier. They are tired of picking up after you every microt of the day, they also demand a more respectful demeanour towards their presence…I guess a little appreciation would not go awry, Dominar!”

“If I agree, I want to have my throne sled back immediately! This is undignified… mortifying and…and..” Rygel’s ears finally dropped all the way in defeat. “Pilot, you can tell them I will comply ..but under protest!”

“Dominar, they are not deaf and they understand perfectly well what you are saying - you have just told them yourself”

From the throng of little yellow drones, the throne sled appeared and was pushed back towards Rygel, who with a deep sigh sat in it and finally looked pacified a little.

“Officer Sun, the next request is for you. Since you have arrived on Moya, you have made it very clear to the DRDs that you do not wish them to assist you in the maintenance and care of your Prowler. They would like you to know that they are highly qualified in repairs of all sorts of flying craft and that they are deeply offended by your distrust.”

Aeryn listened intently and after a short reflective pause replied.

“To a Peacekeeper pilot, a Prowler is the most treasured possession, so it is hard for me to share it with others…I did not wish however to offend them and I do not doubt their mechanical prowess. From now on I will make sure to request and accept their help.”

She turned towards the DRDs and inclined her head in thanks to reinforce her statement.

“Finally, Commander Crichton. You recently have disassembled Unit 42 and Unit 73, however when you finished going through their internal mechanisms, you did not reassemble them and left them on a work bench in the cargo bay. This deeply upset the other units.”

John looked stunned and mortified for a moment but he turned around to the DRDs and said

“ I was just trying to fix them. They were seriously damaged when a cargo container fell on them during Starburst and I was just trying to get them workin’ again. I failed …but I should not have left them opened up like that. I sincerely apologise. I can assure you, I didn’t mean any harm… my..my intentions were good,”

At this, One Eye stepped forward and squeaked loudly in clear defence and support of the Human, which earned it an admonishing hiss from Unit 57 followed by a clear summons to the others to gather.

After a brief huddled powwow of all the drones, finally Unit 57 emitted a long bleep and the other DRDs started to scatter to resume their duties, which was a clear sign the siege had been lifted and the crew were free to return to their quarters, however just before they had had the chance of leaving Command, John turned around and asked a final question of Pilot.

“Pilot, why did the DRDs decided to take action and why now? What prompted them?”

“I believe, Commander, that they overheard a conversation you had with Officer Sun on your return from the planet Sykar. You were discussing workers’ rights and how, on Earth, you have what I believe you call unions and how workers demands can be heard if they stand together as one.”

On hearing this, Rygel forcibly and intentionally bumped into Crichton on his way out the door “ I told you it was all your fault, Crichton! If you only could keep your mouth shut, our lives would be a lot easier!”

Aeryn restrained Crichton from grabbing the back of Rygel’s sled and with a shake of her head intimated that he let him go.

After a murderous look from D’Argo, also on his way out of Command, John stood with Aeryn by his side – silence finally descending on the room.

“John, I clearly remember that conversation. We were in Centre Chamber after third meal. There were no DRDs around, the only other person in the room was Zhaan….remember? She was tidying up the cooking utensils…”

John frowned : “Yeah, I remember…Aeryn, what are you saying? You don’t think she could possibly be behind all this?”

Aeryn hesitated : “I don’t know Crichton, but there is no other explanation as to how the DRDs might have found out about that conversation...”

John thought about this for a moment and then shaking his head in semi-disbelief and amusement, murmured almost to himself “Well, back on Delvia, she WAS convicted as an anarchist….”

THE END


End file.
